Motor Manufacturers

Most of our old woodworking and metalworking machines are powered by electric motors. Many companies made those motors, and this page provides a brief listing of those companies along with links to their history pages.

Better known as an agricultural equipment maker, but they manufactured motors for many years. Acquired Bullock Electric Manufacturing Co. in 1905. About the same time, GE bought a majority stake in A-C. In 1985, Siemens AG acquired A-C, which now operates as Siemens Energy and Automation.

Began in 1884 as Geo. F. Card & O. W. Jantz Manufacturing Co., then became Bullock Electric Motor & Dynamo Co. Motor manufacturing began about 1897. In 1901, combined their sales operations with those of Wagner. Acquired by Allis-Chalmers in 1905 and then operated for years as the Bullock Works of A-C.

Primarily fractional HP motors. Some motors have 1911-05-23 and 1913-01-28 patent dates, corresponding to patents presumably licensed from Allis-Chalmers. Domestic was acquired by Black & Decker in 1929. Page 225 of the EMF Electrical Yearbook, Volume 1, released in June of 1921, reveals the following information: DOMESTIC ELECTRIC CO., THE.- Cleveland, Ohio. Manufacturer of small motors. Business established 1915. President and general manager, C. A. Duffner; vice-president M. H. Spielman; secretary and treasurer, A. N. Kellogg; sales manager, W. H. Lamar. Also cited is the trade name and address information: DOMESTIC.- Trade name for small motors manufactured by the Domestic Electric Co., 1071 Power Ave., Cleveland, Ohio

Began as the Canadian branch of a Chicago-based parent. In 1952 it became the wholly-owned subsidiary of Canada Iron Foundries, Ltd.; the name changed to "Tamper, Ltd." around 1959. Known as a motor maker from a 1 HP induction motor with the "Tamper" brand name.

Primarily made smaller motors, 1 HP and under. Began as the "Holtzer Co." in 1875, then became "Seth W. Fuller & Holtzer" in 1880, then "Holtzer & Co." in 1888, then "Holtzer & Cabot" in '89 then "Holtzer & Cabot Electric Co." shortly thereafter. We have seen a motor from "Holtzer-Cabot Division of First Industrial Corporation".

Formed after WWII when Howard Aircraft Corp. sold their aircraft making assets, bought Racine-based Electric Motor Corp., and renamed it. Howard motors have been spotted on Rockwell/Delta radial arm saws.

Connected to Kingston-Conley in some way. Our best guess is that Howell bought K-C in 1958 and in 1963 Kingston-Conley was absorbed into Howell. The name changed to "Howell Electric Motors, Inc." sometime after 1961. Probably supplied to Boice-Crane. Acquired by Kinetek, Inc., in 2007.

Established 1934 by Frederick S. Kingston and Brooks L. Conley, both formerly of Sunlight Electrical. Acquired by Hoover Co. in 1948. Motors after that time had both Kingston-Conley and Hoover names. Seems to have been acquired by Howell in 1958 and absorbed in 1963. Made motors and grinders for Atlas, Millers Falls, Stanley, Walker-Turner, and others.

Fractional HP motors that are usually built into appliances. Seen as motor on a planer knife grindeer. By 1957 they were the Lamb Electric Division of American Machine & Metals, Inc., which became Ametek, Inc. There was also a Lamb Electric division of Canada of Sangamo Canada, Ltd., in Leaside, ON. In the early 1900s there was a Lamb Electric Co. in Detroit, and then there was one in Grand Rapids. These may all be the same firm. The Grand Rapids incarnation made motors plus bench grinders and buffers

In 1990, purchased by U. S. Electrical Motors division of Emerson. Granby plant was closed in 1992; production for Canadian market moved to USEM's Markham plant, but then that plant was closed in 1993.

Company founded 1878. Purchased by GM in 1929. Began making fractional horsepower motors in 1932. Production of commercial fractional horsepower motors transferred to GM Diesel in London, ON, in 1963 (uncertain how these motors were badged). McKinnon's name changed to "General Motors of Canada Limited, St. Catharine's" in 1969.

So far as we know, Norge made appliance motors that have occasionally been adapted for workshop use. Norge was acquired by Borg-Warner Corp. in the late '20s or early '30s. Norge relocated to Fort Smith, AR, in 1961.

The Packard Motor Car Co. spun off in 1902. GM bought Packard Electric in 1932 but continued to operate Packard Electric as a separate entity. In 1943, Sunlight Electrical's small motor production was absorbed into Packard.

In 1903, changed name to Reynolds Electric Flasher Manufacturing Company, and then changed it back sometime between 1915 and 1917. They were making motors by 1917, using the "Reliance" trade name. The company may have survived into the 1970s but if they did they kept a low profile.

A. O. Smith started out making automobile frames. They got into the motor business in 1940 with the purchase of the Sawyer Electrical Manufacturing Co. In 1950 they bought Whirl-A-Way Motors Inc. in 1950. In 1986 they Bought Westinghouse's small motor business. In 1999 they bought Magnetek's motor operations. Made motors for Delta, including their radial arm saws.

Founded June 1917. Acquired in 1933 by Delco Products Corp., a subsidiary of GM. Sunlight's motor manufacturing was relocated to Dayton but continued to operate under the Sunlight name. In 1943 their motor production was absorbed into the Packard Electric operations.

Reincorporated as Wagner Electric Corp. in 1922. An early motor supplier to Delta. Still in business as "Wagner Lighting Co." Canadian subsidiary, Wagner Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd., formed in 1919 and eventually taken over by Allis-Chalmers-Bullock.

Also known was "Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co." and "Westinghouse Electric Corp." GE and Westinghouse were the two biggest makers of electric motors. Westinghouse supplied 1/3, 1/2, and 3/4 HP general-purpose motors to Delta from roughly 1942-47.

Starting about 1920, S. A. Woods started manufacturing motors for its own use. Their high quality motors were designed for direct drive applications and were also sold to other machinery manufacturers. "The Murray Co." name was used during the war years. In 1961 Yates-American purchased the rights to all of S. A. Woods' products including the motor line.